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Kottawa

Coordinates: 6°50′29″N 79°57′53″E / 6.84139°N 79.96472°E / 6.84139; 79.96472
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Kottawa
  • කොට්ටාව (Sinhala)
  • கொட்டாவை (Tamil)
Suburb
Kottawa is located in Colombo District
Kottawa
Kottawa
Location of Kottawa within Colombo District
Coordinates: 6°50′29″N 79°57′53″E / 6.84139°N 79.96472°E / 6.84139; 79.96472
CountrySri Lanka
ProvinceWestern Province
DistrictColombo District
Time zoneUTC+5:30 (Sri Lanka Standard Time Zone)
Postal Code
10230

Kottawa (Sinhala: කොට්ටාව, Template:Lang-ta) is one of the main suburbs in Colombo, Sri Lanka and is administered by the Maharagama Urban Council. It is located 21 km (13 mi) from the centre of Colombo.

History

The name Kottawa is derived from the Sinhalese phrase kotten awa, meaning "The city of greats".[citation needed] Later the name was shortened to "Kottawa". The town was part of the Kottawa Electoral District which existed between 1960 and 1977.

During the Sri Lankan Civil War, Kottawa's strategic location on one of the main roads connecting Panagoda Cantonment to Colombo made it a target for attacks. In 2004, 7 alleged Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal militants were killed in a pre-dawn attack blamed on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.[1] In June 2006, Major General Parami Kulatunga was killed by a suicide bomber just after passing Kottawa on his way to the Army Headquarters in Colombo from his residence in Panagoda.[2]

Economy

Kottawa is a commercial hub with several banks,[3] shops,[4][5] supermarkets,[6][7] a post office, bakeries and fuel depots. As a commuter suburb of Colombo, Kottawa has seen land prices increase twenty five to thirty two per cent in recent times, with the average price per perch being between LKR 700,000–1 million.[8]

Culture

The Kottawa United Traders Association constructs a pandal for the Vesak festival at the centre of town. This has been an annual event since 1988.[9]

Education

There are several schools located in Kottawa:

Law Enforcement

Kottawa is served by the Kottawa Police Station. In 2010, the artist Lalaka Peiris was found dead after arrest here.[10]

Infrastructure

Kottawa town is located alongside the A4 highway connecting Colombo and Batticaloa.[11] Kottawa town shows a potential to become a key landmark in Sri Lanka's road systems due to the development of the Expressways of Sri Lanka. The Kottawa - Makumbura multimodal transport centre allows commuters to switch between Expressway buses, the Kelani Valley Railway Line and buses running on the A4 highway.[12]

Road

A bus passes through Kottawa on the A4 Highway

Kottawa can be reached via A4 (Colombo - Batticaloa) highway.[11] The northern end of the Southern Expressway is about 2 km (1.2 mi) east of Kottawa[13] on the High Level Road (A4) and the Outer Colombo Circular Highway also extends from here towards north.[14]

In December 2021, area residents protested delays and irregularities in the construction of the Kottawa–Piliyandala road.[15]

Rail

Main article: Kottawa railway station

Kottawa Railway Station is located on the Kelani Valley Railway Line (which connects Colombo to Avissawella). It is situated approximately 200 m (660 ft) from Kottawa Junction along the Kottawa-Athurugiriya Road

Kottawa has been included in the proposal for elevated commuter rail lines serving the Colombo metropolitan area. An elevated track named "Neela" (Blue), 23 km (14 mi) in length, will connect Hunupitiya to Kottawa via Pelawatte.[16][17] The Public-Private Partnership (PPP) project aims to address heavy traffic congestion during the morning and evening rush hours in Colombo.


Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kottawa.

Architecture and Housing

The stupa of the Digana Purana Rajamaha Viharaya, Kottawa seen at night

Kottawa is home to several renowned Buddhist temples, including Digana Purana Rajamaha Viharaya and Pinhena Temple.

Two middle-income housing projects have been initiated by the Urban Development Authority in the Kottawa area.[18] They are Kottawa Green Arcade Apartments in Kulasevana Watte on Hokandara Road, and the Viyathpura Housing Complex in Weera Mawatha. These are scheduled to be completed in June 2022 and consist of 300 housing units and parking spaces for each of the units.

References

  1. ^ Sambandan, V S (27 August 2004). "Striking terror, again". Frontline. The Hindu. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
  2. ^ "Who kept Kulatunga out of Army HQ". Sunday Times. 2 July 2006. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
  3. ^ "Pan Asia Bank opens 80th branch in Kottawa". Daily FT. Wijeya Newspapers Ltd. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
  4. ^ "Wickramarachchi opens latest branch in Kottawa". Daily News. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
  5. ^ "Rich Look Fashion opens branch in Kottawa". Daily News. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
  6. ^ "Softlogic Glomark enters Kottawa with new outlet". Wijeya Newspapers Limited. Daily Mirror. 8 July 2019. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  7. ^ "Arpico opens 17th Superstore at Kottawa". Daily FT. Wijeya Newspapers Ltd. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
  8. ^ "Land Prices in Greater Colombo Increase by up to 64% as Demand Grows for Affordable Land Outside the City". Ada Derana. 27 June 2019. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
  9. ^ "කොට්ටාව වෙසක් තොරණ". Lankadeepa. Wijeya Newspapers Limited. 4 May 2015. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
  10. ^ Bangala Arrachi, Tiran Kumara. "SRI LANKA: Killings at the police stations". Asian Human Rights Commission. Asian Human Rights Commission. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  11. ^ a b "Kottawa city". Lanka.info. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
  12. ^ "Kottawa-Makumbura multimodal transport center opens 31st March". Lanka Business Online (Pvt) Ltd. All rights reserved. Lanka Business Online. March 29, 2019. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  13. ^ "Southern Expressway from Pinnaduwa (Galle) to Godagama (Matara)". Road Development Authority. 28 March 2014. Archived from the original on 19 March 2012. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
  14. ^ Alwis, Harshi (8 March 2014). "Kottawa - Kaduwela Highway declared open". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
  15. ^ "කොට්ටාව -පිළියන්දල බස්පාර නිසි සැලැස්මකට ක්‍රියාත්මක කරන්නැයි උද්ඝෝෂණයක්". Lankadeepa. Wijeya Newspaper Limited. 1 December 2021. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
  16. ^ Mudugamuwa, Ishara (31 March 2021). "Four colour-coded elevated rail tracks for Colombo". Daily News. The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
  17. ^ "Four colour-coded elevated railways for Colombo". Daily FT. Wijeya Newspapers Ltd. 31 March 2021. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
  18. ^ "Work on two housing projects in Pannipitiya and Kottawa expedited". Daily News. The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd. 13 October 2021. Retrieved 6 November 2021.


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